Nothing.
Since it had been vacant for a number of years, the building wasn't the cleanest thing in the world. There were cobwebs and other things she didn't want to think about littering the floor. The air was stale with a rancid quality to it that left her breathing through her mouth in an effort not to pinch her nose closed.
She found it strange that there were working lights in the building.
But then Stryker was a god...
"Where's the light coming from upstairs?" she asked Alexion.
"I don't know. Maybe they have a generator hooked up, or again, Stryker is using his powers to light it."
They found the stairs in the back and started up. As they headed up, they could hear faint voices, but the words were unintelligible.
Danger tried not to breathe deeply as she wondered what lies Kyros and Stryker were telling the others.
How many of them would buy into it?
As they reached the door at the end of the upstairs hall where the others seemed to be gathered, she pulled Alexion to a stop to listen to what was going on inside before they entered. She was only now beginning to feel a pull on her powers, but it was still very mild.
"So how do we defeat Acheron?"
Danger winced as she recognized Squid's voice. That little rat-bastard. But she'd suspected as much. He'd been vehement in his hatred of Acheron.
She looked up to see a cold, determined look on Alexion's face.
"He is a Daimon," Stryker said. "You kill him as you would any of our people."
Kyros was the next to speak. His voice rang out. "Are you with us, brothers and sisters?"
She cringed as she heard the sound of unanimous agreement.
Alexion pulled her back. "I'll take it from here." He kissed her lightly on the lips before he turned, held his hand out, and blasted the steel door into oblivion.
Alexion strode confidently into the room, even though he knew Stryker probably had some means to kill him. Let the bastard try. If he did, then he was in for a fight.
It was time now to do his job.
There were twenty Dark-Hunters in the room-eighteen men and two women, along with several dozen Daimons. It was a good thing Dark-Hunter blood was poisonous to the Daimons, otherwise they would most likely be feasting by now on the fools who had gathered here to die like sheep being led blithely to the butcher.
But it was Kyros who held his attention. He stood before the group, his eyes burning with hatred.
Sighing, Alexion shook his head. "What fools these immortals be," he said. "To listen to a Daimon and fall victim to his lies."
"We fell victim to those centuries ago," Squid snarled. "There's not a one of us here who hasn't been used by Acheron."
Alexion pitied him. "I'm not here to argue with any of you anymore. I'm here to give you your last chance to save yourselves. Those of you who want to live to see another night, step to the right. Those of you who wish to believe in Stryker's bullshit and die tonight stay where you are."
"Don't be afraid of him," Stryker said. "What can one man do to all of you?"
Alexion gave him a wry grin. "If I'm so little a threat, Stryker, why haven't you killed me?"
He looked around at the gathered crowd of Dark-Hunters. "Don't throw your lives away so needlessly. All of you have survived too much to be so damned stupid."
He paused to stare at Kyros. "And you, adelfos, I carried you on my back when you were wounded. I gave you bread when it was the last bite I had to sustain me. Look me in the eyes now and tell me that you are willing to back a Daimon over me."
Kyros looked to Stryker, who began clapping sarcastically. "Great speech. Practice long?"
Alexion raised his hand and threw Stryker back against a wall. "Decide, Hunters. Now!"